The disclosure relates generally to meteorological forecasting methods and/or automatic weather observations and reporting systems. Weather observations are important to many applications, including but not limited to operation or control of aircraft or other vehicles.
Weather observations at remote locations can assist pilots and other users. For example, receiving a weather report for a destination or an airport can assist the pilot in making flight planning decisions. Weather reports from airports are often manually produced and transmitted to aircraft via radio. Many airports lack on-site meteorological staff and automatic weather observation and reporting systems which provide direct weather assessments at the airport. Pilots often must rely on weather reports from airports that have meteorological facilities, even though those facilities may be significantly distant from their destination. Even at airports with automated observation systems, the conditions reported are associated with the single point on the airfield where the automated observation system is located or directed. The airport weather observation system cannot always observe growing or advancing weather systems (e.g., a fog bank over a bay that is advancing and that will cover the airfield).
Thus, there is a need for a system and/or method that provides weather information associated with an airport or other location to a pilot or a user. There is also a need for a weather observation system that uses a real world view of weather from a remote location to a pilot or a user. Still further, there is a need for an automated weather reporting system that is low cost, efficient, and accurate. There is a need for an automatic weather display systems and methods that report weather conditions without substantial ground infrastructure or high communication overhead. There is yet further need for improved weather display systems and methods that display weather conditions in selected regions relevant to the aircraft. There is further need for improved weather radar display systems and methods that provide flight crew with weather observations of a remote location.
It would be desirable to provide a system and/or method that provides one or more of these or other advantageous features. Other features and advantages will be made apparent from the present disclosure. The teachings disclosed extend to those embodiments which fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the aforementioned needs.